Starting device.



T. K. STRAND. STARTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6,1911.

1,059,407, Patented Apr. 22, 1918.

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F uz E wuuwuo T. K. STRAND.

STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.6,1911.,

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

-similar to that of Fig.

UNITED STATES PATEN' THOMAS K. STRAND, 0F ROLETTE, NORTH DAKQTA.

STARTING DEVICE.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS K. STRAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rolette, in the county of Rolette, State of North Dakota, have invented certain'new and usefrl Improvements in Starting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such hs will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to new and useful improvements in starting devices for internal combustion engines and the object of my invention is to provide means for operating the magneto to obtain the initial spark needed to start the engine, thus doing away with the necessity for a dual ignition system.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby the armature shaft of the magneto may be revolved at a high rate of speed independent of the rate of speed at which the crank shaft of'the engine is -.revolved, the difference in speed being sufficient for adequate current production. And a still further object of my invention is to so accomplish the above mentioned objects that when the engine has once acquired suflicient speed the speedincreasing mecha nism of the armature may be eliminated and the latter revolved at a constant speed equal to that of the crank shaft of the engine.

lVith these and other objects in view, my invention will be more fully described, illustrated in the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my device, and then specifically ointed out in the claims which are attached to and form part of this application.

In the accompanying drawings, fl igin'e 1 is a side elevation of an explosive engine with my device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the start ing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, the parts he-' ing shown in the position occupied. immcdiately prior to the forming of the spark. Fig. 4; is an end elevation of the device showing the position occupied by the circuit breaking cam when the device is in the position shown in Fig. 3. Fig. is a section 3 but showing the position. of the partsimmediately after the spark hefsbeen formed. Fig. 6 is a view Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 6, 1911.

' liore formed in the Patented Apr. 22, 1913. Serial No. 658,787.

similar to Fig. 4. showing the position of the cam after the circuit is broken.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout, it will be seen that I have shown my device applied to a conventional form of internal combustion engine of the stationary type but it will of course be understood that the structure may be modified to adapt it for use upon automobile engines and the like .without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention.

In'the drawings 10 designates in general the engine having a crank shaft 11 upon one end of which is positionedthe customary form of starting crank 12 and mounted upon the opposite end of this crank shaft and secured against rotation thereon is a hollow drum 13. As shown this engine is mounted upon a suitable frame 14 and also mounted upon the frame and adjacent the drum 13 is a magneto 15 of the-customary type having an armature shaft 16 one end of which extends through a centrally located while the other end of this armature shaft 13 provided with a circuit closing cam 17.

-The primary circuit of this magneto includes spring contact plates 18 and 19 preferably provided with platinum contact points 20 and these plates are carried by the frame and are so positioned that the circuit between them is opened and closed by means of the cam 17 which revolves with the armature shaft of the magneto.

free end of the drum 13 Surrounding that end of the armature shaft which is within the drum-l3 is a coil spring 19 one end of which is secured to the shaft While the'opposite end is secured to the inner face of the drum, this spring being of such strength that the armature shaft of the magneto is normally revolved by the revolvin of the drum carried by the crank shaft of lhe'engine. Y

The drum 13 is provided with a circumte ntially extending slot 20 and extending through this slot is an arm 21 the inner end of which is scour-rd tothe armature shaft. Secured to tho Frame and extending upwardly therefrom is minatin'g at its upper end in a lateral extension 23 adapted to engage with the extended end of the arnrQl when the drum is revolved and to soh-old the arnlatm'e shaft -ing outwardly from the drum 1?) is a cain' member 24: said member being so positioned as to engage the extended and 23 of the spring arm when the arm 21 has-reached its limit of movement in the slot andto'thus: f.

the combination with the crank shaft of an release said arm, when the tension-cities coil spring 19 will inunediately rotate the armature shaft at a highrate of speed until the arm 21 has reached the opposite limitof the slot 20. As a vmeans for holding'the spring arm 22 out of position when not in use I have provided a hook 25 which is pivoted by one end to the frame and adapted to be swung into engagement with said arm when the latter is sprung away from the drum. v In'starting the en ine with my improved device the charge is rst admitted to the cyl-\ inders and the crank shaft 11 is then. turned by means of the hand crank 1.2 until the parts are-in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4: of the drawings, at which point the engine is slightly over dead center and the tion and .engaged by the hook 25.

primary circuit of the magneto is closed. The crank shaft is then further rotated thus forcing the spring arm 22 out of engagement with the arm 20 when thespring 19 imme diately rotates the armature shaft at-a high rate of speed thus breaking the primary circuit of the magneto and forming the initial spark.

Because of the cam 24: the crank shaft of the engine is free to revolve, the arm 20 be ing engaged. once during each revolution by the spring arm 22. As soon however as the engine has attained normal speed this spring arm 22 is drawn back out ofoperative posi- The spring 22 isdrawn out by hand to engage it with the hook 25, said action being entirely independent of the mechanism of applicants structure. When this has been done the armature shaft is revolved by the crank shaft and at the same speed at which the latter revolves, this being accomplished by means of the spring connection betweenvthe armature shaft and. the drum.

As will be seen from the foregoing description I have provided 'a simple and efliinseam necessity of employing a deal ignition sys- What I claim is 1- 1-; In a device of the character described internal combustion engine, of a magneto having an armature shaft in alinement with said crank shaft, a hollow drum providedwith 'a circnmferentially extending slot keyed upon-said crank shaft, saidarmature shaft extending at one end into said. drum, a

coil spring surrounding said armature shaft and with one end secured to the armaturesh aft and the other end to the drum an'arni secured to said armature shaft by one end and with its vother end extending through. the slot of the drum, a resilient arm adapted to engage said arm, means carried/by the drum for from said carried by said armature shaft.

2. In a device of the character described;

arm and circuit breaking means the combination with the crank shaft of an internal combustion engine, of a'magneto disengaging said. resilient arm having an-armatu're-shaft in alinement with,

said crank shaft, a hollow drum with a circumferentially extending slot keyed upon said crank shaft, said armature shaft extending at one end into said drum, a coil spring surrounding said armature shaft and with one end secured to the armature shaft and the other end to the drum, an arm secured to said arm'ature shaft by one end and --'W1th its other end extending rovided q throu'glithe slot of the drum, a resilient arm adapted to engage said arm, means carried by the drum for disengaging said resilient 

